Tommy Robinson found guilty of harassing Daily Mail journalists

The jury's verdict

Political activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been found guilty on two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against two Daily Mail journalists. The verdict was delivered by the jury at Southwark Crown Court on 28 October 2026, BBC News reports.

The essence of the case

The charges related to the reaction of Robinson, 43, who lives in Bedfordshire, to articles in the Daily Mail and Mail Online from August 2024 reporting that he had been on holiday in Cyprus while riots were taking place in England following the Southport killings. Prosecutor Ben Holt told the week-long trial that after the killing of three girls in Southport on 29 July 2024, Robinson made a series of social media posts through which the newspaper learned of his stay in Cyprus.

The parties' positions

According to the court, Robinson used 'thuggish, intimidating tactics' against reporters Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber, forcing them to hire security or leave their homes. The defendant himself denied the charges, claiming that he 'panicked' and 'was frightened' when the Daily Mail published an article accusing him of 'inciting racial riots from a sun lounger'. He told the jury that the report that his family had stayed at a hotel near Ayia Napa 'put' his loved ones 'in danger'.

What happens next

After the verdict, Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said that Robinson had 'turned social media into a weapon' and subjected two journalists to a campaign of harassment that caused them serious fear of violence. Robinson has been released on bail until sentencing, scheduled for 16 December. The maximum penalty for harassment causing fear of violence is 10 years' imprisonment, or up to 14 years if racially or religiously aggravated.